U.S.–China Competition in the Age of Trump’s Energy Law

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act reorients U.S. energy policy, redefining its rivalry with China and the global transition.

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Once, climate and clean energy were common ground between the United States and China, most notably in the lead-up to the 2015 Paris Agreement. In the years since, cooperation has given way to competition. China has emerged as the global leader in clean energy manufacturing, while the U.S.—under the Biden administration—moved to catch up through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Now, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act has set a very different course. The law rolls back many clean energy incentives, puts new emphasis on fossil fuels and emerging technologies like advanced nuclear and certain hydrogen sources, and sharpens trade and supply chain tensions with China through expanded tariffs and Foreign Entity of Concern restrictions.

What does this shift mean for U.S.–China relations, American competitiveness, and the global energy transition?

Scott Moore, director of China programs and strategic initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania and a faculty fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, joins Energy Policy Now to explore the stakes. A leading expert on U.S.–China relations, Moore offers perspective on how Trump’s policies could reshape the balance of power between the world’s two largest economies.

Scott Moore is practice professor of political science and director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a faculty fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.

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Climate Action in the Age of Great Power Rivalry: What Geopolitics Means for the Climate https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/climate-action-in-the-age-of-great-power-rivalry-what-geopolitics-means-for-the-climate/

Mitigating Climate Change Through Green Investments https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/mitigating-climate-change-through-green-investments/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

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